Media Contacts
Cat Lazaroff
Communications Director
(202)
772-3270
Not a journalist but need help? Contact our Member Services
team:
1-800-385-9712
Sign up for our Press List
Get Defenders Headlines
Get the latest wildlife conservation news and information... right when we post it online.
For Immediate Release
Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Gains Endangered Species Protections
Defenders of Wildlife applauds decision
Anchorage, AK -- The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today proposed to list the imperiled Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The move follows recent data that reveals this distinct beluga whale population's numbers have plummeted nearly 60 percent in the past 15 years.
"We applaud the National Marine Fisheries Service for recognizing the plight of the Cook Inlet beluga," said Karla Dutton, Alaska director with Defenders of Wildlife. "The Endangered Species Act listing will help protect and restore these rare whales and their habitat for future generations."
NMFS initially refused to list the whale under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2000, and instead chose the less rigorous protections afforded by a "depleted" listing under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). In April 2006, with the latest surveys revealing a continued population decline, and in response to a petition by Defenders and other conservation groups requesting listing under the Endangered Species Act, NMFS once again considered whether the Cook Inlet beluga whale should be protected as an endangered species. Such a listing would require NMFS to take steps to recover the species and designate and protect its habitat. Scientists at the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission – the federal agency mandated by Congress to advise NMFS on the protection of the nation's marine mammals – have repeatedly called on NMFS to list the beluga under the ESA.
"The Cook Inlet beluga lives in the most populated and fastest-growing watershed in Alaska," Dutton continued. "We need to look at potential impacts from oil and gas development, sewage exposure, shipping, fishing and underwater seismic blasting to determine which are putting the most severe pressure on the beluga population. This endangered species designation will encourage this needed research and other actions to help recover this Cook Inlet icon."
Currently, about 300 belugas remain in Cook Inlet– down from historical estimates of 1300. The whale's plight is so dire the World Conservation Union added the Cook Inlet beluga to its "Red List" in April 2006, classifying it as "critically endangered." The only category after "critically endangered" is "extinct."
###
Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 500,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
